Self-cleanable hair brush

ABSTRACT

A self-cleanable hair brush comprising a main body portion having a handle at one end, a back normally disposed in contact with one side of said main body portion, tufts of bristles secured to said back and extending through openings in said body portion, a plurality of pins rigidly secured to said body portion and normally extending through apertures provided in said back, and a U-shaped clip member pivotally secured to each pair of pins, said clip members in normal operative position of the brush being secured to the upper side of said brush, and said clip members being pivotable to a position in which the legs of the U are in alignment with said pins whereby said back and said body member may be moved away from each other to a brush cleaning position in which the crossmembers of the U-shaped clip members constitute abutments limiting movement so that the back does not become disengaged from the tufts of bristles.

United States Patent 3,055,033 9/1962 Peilet et al. 15/184 PrimaryExaminer-Peter Feldman AnorneyStepno and Neilan ABSTRACT: Aself-cleanable hair brush comprising a main body portion having a handleat one end, a back normally disposed in contact with one side of saidmain body portion, tufts of bristles secured to said back and extendingthrough openings in said body portion, a plurality of pins rigidlysecured to said body portion and normally extending through aperturesprovided in said back, and a U-shaped clip member pivotally secured toeach pair of pins, said clip members in normal operative position of thebrush being secured to the upper side of said brush, and said clipmembers being pivotable to a position in which the legs of the U are inalignment with said pins whereby said back and said body member may bemoved away from each other to a brush cleaning position in which thecrossmembers of .the U-shaped clip members constitute abutments limitingmovement so that the back does not become disengaged from the tufts ofbristles.

[72} Inventor Robert B. Rand R0. Box 2461, Charleston, W. Va. 25329 [21]Appl. No. 842,140 [22] Filed July 18, 1969 [45] Patented May 4, 1971[54] SELF-CLEANABLE HAIR BRUSH 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 15/169, 132/119 [51] int. Cl A46b 17/06 [50] Field oISearch15/154, 168, 169, 201, 202, 203, 184; 132/9, 119, 120, 121

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,303,500 5/1919 Rosenberg15/169X 2,529,927 11/1950 Fisk 15/169X 2,946,075 7/1960 Slaughter, Jr15/ 184 PATENTED HAY 4l97| INVENTOR. filer/Z '4 TTORIVEY$ SELF-CLEANABLEHAIR BRUSH The present invention relates to an easily cleanable hairbrush which incorporates means for cleaning the hair brush when itbecomes clogged or matted with hairs and other debris.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improvedhair brush which incorporates means whereby hair, dandruff etc., whichcollects on the bristle tufts can be quickly and easily moved inessentially one manipulative operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a selfcleanablehair brush having an improved structure for both normally locking therelatively movable parts together in the normal operative position ofthe hair brush and also serving as means for limiting the relativemovement between said parts to prevent the cleaning member from beingmoved beyond the ends of the tufts whereby the tufts would becomedisengaged therefrom.

A presently preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises amain body portion having a curved handle at one end, a back withbristles embedded therein, holes in the body portion through which thebristles project, upstanding pins rigidly secured to the body portion,holes in the back through which the pins extend during normal use of thebrush, said back being movable to and away from said body portion,abutment means comprising at least one U-shaped member pivotally securedto a pair of said pins to limit the extent of movement of said backrelative to said body member, said U- .shaped member in the operativeposition of the brush being pivoted to a position against the surface ofsaid back, and locking means to lock said U-shaped member against saidback.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this inventionwill become more apparent from the following description of a presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a hair brushof the invention shown in its normal operating position with thebristles extending upwardly.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view partly in section showing the hair brushof FIG. I in the cleaning position, with the hair brush rotated I80 fromthe FIG. 1 position so'that the bristles extend downwardly.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the hair brush in the cleaning position asshown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. I, the hairbrush of the invention comprises a main body portion 10 having aplurality of holes 12 through which tufts of bristles 14 extend. Acurved handle 16 constitutes an integral extension of the body portion10.

Tufts of bristles 14 are secured in holes in a back 18. As seen in FIG.1, the back 18 is normally disposed against the adjacent side of thebody portion 10 when the brush members are in their normal operatingposition.

Two pairs of pins 20 are rigidly fastened to body portion I and projecttherefrom perpendicular to the surface of body portion 10. It will benoted that the brush increases in width from the handle side to the lefthand side of the brush as seen in FIG. 2. The left-hand pair of pins 20are spaced a greater distance from each other than the right-hand pairof pins 20 in the presently preferred embodiment.

The back 18 has four holes 22 aligned with the pins 20 and slightlylarger than the outside diameter of pins 20 so that when the back 18abuts against body member in the operative position of the brush, pinsextend through the holes 22.

Smaller and larger U-shaped clip members 24 and 26 are pivotallyconnected to the right-hand and left-hand pair of pins 20, respectively,by pivot pins 28.

As clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the U-shaped members 24 and 26in the operating position of the brush are pivoted downwardly and abutagainst the adjacent surface of the back 18. In this sition lockingelement'30 com rising pins having enlarged eads which are secured to theun erside of the crossmembers of the U-shaped members 24 and 26 arereceived in resilient locking engagement within complimentary shapedrecesses 32 in the surface of back 18. When the locking elements 30 arein this position, back 18 is maintained in contact against the adjacentsurface of body portion 10 without any movement or play between theelements.

Whenever it is desired to clean the brush, the U-shaped members 24 and26 are pulled away from the back 18 to remove locking elements 30 fromtheir recesses 32. The U- shaped members 24 and 26 may then pivot aroundpins 28 to positions in which the legs 34 of the U-shaped members aresubstantially aligned with pins 20. At this time, back I8 may be movedrelative to body member 10 with the legs 34 entering into the holes 22in the back 18 as best seen in FIG. 3. The relative movement betweenbody portion 10 and back 18 continues until back 18 abuts against thecrossmembers of the U- shaped members 24 and 26 which constituteabutment members which prevent the relative movement from causing thebristles 14 from being entirely withdrawn through the holes 12 in bodyportion 10. Preferably, the extent of the relative movement is such thatthe free ends of bristles 14 are just drawn to or slightly into theholes 12 in body portion 10. It will of course be appreciated that thisis achieved by suitably coordinating the length of pins 20 and the legs34 of the U-shaped members with the length of the bristles. In thisfashion, hair and other debris which is accumulated on and between thebristles 14 is moved along the bristles to their free edges by therelative movement between back 18 and the body portion 10, and eitherfalls off the brush or accumulates on the upper surface of body portion10 from which it is readily discarded. With the brush in the positionillustrated in FIG. 3, the brush may now be wiped clean with tissue orwith running water etc., if necessary. Body portion 10 is madesufficiently thick so that there is sufiicient leeway to insure that thebristles 14 do not pass completely through the holes 12.

While a preferred embodiment'of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it will be appreciated that various changes andmodifications may readily suggest themselves to those of ordinary skillin the art upon being apprised of the present invention withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

1 claim:

1. A self-cleanable hair brush comprising a main body portion having ahandle at one end thereof, a back having bristles attached thereto, saidbristles extending through holes provided in said body part, a pluralityof pins rigidly secured to said body portion and extending from thesurface of said body portion perpendicular thereto, said back havingholes extending therethrough slightly larger than the outer diameter ofsaid pins to enable said pins to extend through said holes in theoperative position of the brush, said back being movable to and awayfrom said body portion, abutment means comprising at least one U-shapedmember pivotally secured to a pair of said pins to limit the extent ofmovement of said back relative to said body member, said U-shaped memberin the operative position of the brush being pivoted to a positionagainst the surface of said back, and locking means to lock saidU-shaped member against said back.

2. A self-cleanable hair brush according to claim I, wherein there arefour of said pins disposed in two pairs and one of said U-shaped memberspivotally connected to each pair of pins, said abutment means comprisinga cross member of each of said U-shaped members, and said locking meanscomprising locking pins rigidly connected to said cross members and inthe operative position thereof being locked in recesses provided in thesurface of said back.

1. A self-cleanable hair brush comprising a main body portion haVing ahandle at one end thereof, a back having bristles attached thereto, saidbristles extending through holes provided in said body part, a pluralityof pins rigidly secured to said body portion and extending from thesurface of said body portion perpendicular thereto, said back havingholes extending therethrough slightly larger than the outer diameter ofsaid pins to enable said pins to extend through said holes in theoperative position of the brush, said back being movable to and awayfrom said body portion, abutment means comprising at least one Ushapedmember pivotally secured to a pair of said pins to limit the extent ofmovement of said back relative to said body member, said U-shaped memberin the operative position of the brush being pivoted to a positionagainst the surface of said back, and locking means to lock saidU-shaped member against said back.
 2. A self-cleanable hair brushaccording to claim 1, wherein there are four of said pins disposed intwo pairs and one of said U-shaped members pivotally connected to eachpair of pins, said abutment means comprising a cross member of each ofsaid U-shaped members, and said locking means comprising locking pinsrigidly connected to said cross members and in the operative positionthereof being locked in recesses provided in the surface of said back.